Awning lowering device



Jan. 13, 1970 L. A. GUCKENBERGER 3,4 9,

AWNING IJOWERING DEVICE Filed April 1, 1968 //V VE' N TOR LEO A. GUCKENBERGER FIG. 3 W

United States Patent 3,489,451 AWNING LOWERING DEVICE Leo A. Guckenberger, 930 NW. 133rd St., North Miami, Fla. 33168 Filed Apr. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 717,734 Int. Cl. A47f 13/06; B66f 3/00 US. Cl. 294-19 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An awning lowering device having a pair of adjustable posts telescopically mounted together, a foot lever pivotally mounted at one end to the lower end of one of the posts, with a base plate pivotally supporting the foot lever at its mid-position whereby upon placing the posts against a lower surface of the awning and stepping on the foot lever, the awning is pivoted upwardly to release the awning and permit its being lowered to its closed position.

The present invention contemplates avoiding the requirement of more than one person to lower an awning and the person being able to reach the awning from the ground to lower the awning quickly and with ease and little eifort.

Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide an awning lowering device which can be handled by one person to quickly and easily lower an awning.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an awning lowering device which is simple in construction, easy to operate by a single person standing on the ground below the awning.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an awning lowering device utilizing the weight of the operator to pivot the heavy, conventional awning upwardly away from the building to commence its swing downwardly to its closed position.

With these and other objects in View, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an awning in the process of being lowered by a person using my lowering device.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of my awning lowering device.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a line engaging pole.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral refers to an awning lowering device 3,489,451 Patented Jan. 13, 1970 and the numeral 11 referring to a line engaging pole which comprise my apparatus for lowering an awning.

Shown by FIGURE 1 is a conventional awning 12 mounted on a wall 13 and protecting a window 14. The conventional awning 12 consists of a main portion 15 and is hinged to the wall 13 along' its upper edge portion 16. There is provided a pair of side flaps 17 which are hinged as at 18 to the main portion 15 of the awning 12, the hinged flaps 17 bearing against the wall 13 alongside the window 14 to maintain the awning 12 in its open position. The flaps 17 may be fastened by releasable hooks (not shown) to the wall 13 if desired, but not found to be necessary since the downward force exerted by the heavy main portion 15 of the awning 12 maintains the flaps 17 securely positioned against the wall 13 and the awning 12 in its open position.

However, in order to close the awning 12, that is, to return the main portion 15 to its vertical position against the wall 13 and thereby protect the window 14 against the fury of a storm or hurricane, the heavy weight of the awning 12 must be lifted in order to pivot the main portion 15 upwardly and swing the side flaps 17 away from engagement with the wall 13. This feat normally requires the services of a person strong enough to bear the weight of awning 12 and who must be perched on a ladder while swinging the main portion 12 upwardly while a second person swings the side flaps 17 inwardly to permit the downward pivotal movement of the awning 12 on the hinged portion 16 to its closed position.

On the other hand, my awning lowering device 10 which is used to lower the awning 12 by a single person consists of a main tubular member 20 having a post 21 telescopically mounted therein. The top end of the tubular member 20 is slotted as at 22 and provided with threads 23 on its outer surface. A look collar 24 is threadedly mounted on the threads 23 being provided with mating threads 25 and are formed on the inner tapering surface of the lock collar 24. The diameter of the bore at the upper surface of the lock collar 24 is slightly less than that at the lower surface thereof so that as the collar 24 is tightened on the tubular member 20, the post 21 becomes secured against sliding movement in the tubular member 20.

The top end portion of the post 21 is curved slightly as at 26 to compel the cross member 27 which is secured to the top end of the post 21 to bear against the inner surface of the main portion 15 without slipping. The lower end of the tubular member 20 is pivoted by a pivot pin 28 to the free ends of the tab portions 31 formed on a foot lever 30. The foot lever 30 is slotted as at 32 to receive the lower end of the tubular member 20 and permit the free pivotal movement of the tubular member 20. The mid-portion of the foot lever 30 is pivoted by a pin 33 extending through a pair of tabs 34 that have been struck from a plate 35 which forms the support for the lowering device 10.

In order that not more than one person be required to lower the conventional awning 12, a line or string is secured at each end to fastening members 37 secured to the inner surface of the flaps 17 adjacent the lower edge thereof. The string 36 extends through a pair of eyelets 38 secured to the inner surface of the main portion 15 0f the awning 12.

The operator is provided with a sufiiciently long pole 11 which has a hooked end portion 40 at its upper end for engaging the string 36 at the position between the eyelets 38. He then places the lowering device 10 beneath the awning 12 with the cross piece 27 engaging the lower surface of the main portion 15 of the awning 12. If necessary the post 21 can be adjusted with relation to the tubular member 20 by means of the lock collar 24 so that the cross member 27 will engage the awning 15 with the end portion 29 of the foot lever 30 in its lowered position as shown by the solid line showing thereof in FIGURE 2. The operator then steps on the free end 39 of the foot pedal 30, using his weight as the force to pivot the other end portion 29 to swing upwardly carrying with it the tubular members 20 and 21. The awning 15 is pivoted upwardly about its hinged portion 16 releasing the side flaps 17 from engagement with the wall 13. The operator then pulls on the string 36 to pivot the flaps 17 inwardly about their hinged portion 18. The downward force on the foot lever 30 is now released and the tubular members 20, 21 are permitted to swing toward the building 13 on the pivot pin 28 as the awning 12 is swung downwardly toward the wall until the awning 12 comes to rest against the wall 13. The lowering device is then removed from the awning 12 along with the line engaging pole 11 and the awning secured to the normal manner in its closed position against the wall.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An awning lowering device comprising a tubular member having a slotted portion at its upper end, a second member telescopically mounted in said tubular member at said slotted end portion, means adjustably securing said tubular and second members together, means mounted at the free end of said second member for engaging the main portion of an awning, a support member,

lever, said tubular member, said second member and said awning engaging means are swung upwardly to lift and free said awning from the wall on which it is mounted and permit said awning to be lowered to its closed position.

2. The structure as recited by claim 1 wherein said adjustable securing means comprises a lock nut threadedly mounted on said tubular member.

3. The structure as recited by claim 2 wherein said means mounted at the free end of said second member comprising a cross member joined to a curved portion of said free end of said second member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,018,282 2/1912 Warner 254- 1,826,110 10/1931 Wickman 254131 EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner D. WATTS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 254131 

